Groove Is In The Heart
by Pointy Objects
Summary: I'm back at it again! Another ten songs, and ten more ficlets for your reading pleasure. This time with even more romance, drama, and...Hannah Montana? Enjoy!


Does anyone remember a time, when PointyObjects only updated, like…three times in a year? I think I'm going to go back and count my updates for 2008 alone. heads to email inbox to count 12. Twelve updates for 6 different stories in this year alone. I'm kinda proud of myself these days.

Oh, and **the amazing finn** and **Arnolds Love**, this isn't what I said I had for you. You'll know it when you read it. Trust me, okay?

Anyway, I decided to do the Song Challenge again, because it was buckets upon buckets of fun, and…I just loved it. And **the amazing finn**, and **Kaydance **and everybody else got to do it twice, and I want to too! Wow, that made me sound my age…anyway, you know the rules; ten songs, ten ficlets, written in the span of their corresponding song. Play me a record, Mr. DJ!!

* * *

1) **"A & E"- Goldfrapp**

__

It's a blue, bright blue Saturday, hey hey

And the pain has started to slip away, hey hey.

I'm in a back-less dress on a pastel ward that's shining

Think I want you still,

But it may be pills at work.

How did I get to Accident & Emergency?

All I wanted was you to take me out high.

I was feeling lonely, feeling blue,

Feeling like I needed you,

Like I hoped you'd call and hoped you'd see me…

A&E.

When she finally awoke, after what felt like millennium of rest, all she could see was white. White walls, white floor, for a moment she thought that she had gone blind. When her gaze drifted to a nearby window, her thoughts changed. Raising a hand to her face, she spotted the thin plastic bracelet. On it was all of her information: name, birth date, allergies.

'Am I in a hospital?' she thought. It wouldn't have been so bad, had she known why she was there. She was alone in the room, not so much as another cot or a wandering nurse to ask her why she was there. Stumbling out of her bed, she watched as the thin, white slip of paper floated to the floor, and landed just under her hospital bed.

Bending low, she struggled to pick it up, relieved when she finally did snatch it from the floor, and sat upright against her soft pillow.

Once she read the words, however, her relief turned to pain. Excruciating, heart-numbing, but perfectly warranted pain.

__

We all love you. But you have to get better. Or we will move on without you. It'll be hard. But we can.

Miriam didn't even make it to the signatures, Her tears fell in waves and smeared the names of her husband and daughters; the only people who expected enough of her to do what she was to scared to do herself.

* * *

2) **"Mr. Pitiful"- Matt Costa**

__

"Oh Mr. Pit--oh Mr. Pit- Mr. Pitiful,

Who let you down?

Who let you down,

who let you down?

You still don't believe,

you don't believe

You don't believe,

That your grievances show

When your soap box unfolds."

Three days. Three days, four hours and twelve minutes, to be exact. Yes, three days, four hours and twelve minutes of pure, unadulterated bliss. He could barely believe it himself. The sun was shining brighter, birds sang in the trees, and life was good. Life was grand.

Walking down his old neighborhood, he spied people in the park, and watched as a young girl flew down the metal slide, and as she dismounted, promptly dropped her giant, rainbow-colored lollipop in the sand. He winced, imagining, and reliving her pain. Vowing to maintain his mood, he walked on, letting the unfortunate circumstance leave his thoughts altogether.

Once upon a time that was him. But things were different. Things were better now.

In his bliss , Eugene did not hear the calls of his fellow pedestrians, who stood safely on the sidewalk. He didn't hear the beeping horn, or the screeching tires of the trolley.

Two days, seven hours, forty-two minutes later. Eugene began counting again.

The Jinx was back.

* * *

3) **"Somebody's Baby"- Phantom Planet**

__

"Well, just look at that girl with the lights coming up in her eyes.

She's gotta be somebody's baby.

She must be somebody's baby.

'Cause all the guys on the corner stand back and let her walk on by.

I say she's gotta be somebody's baby.

She must be somebody's baby.

She's gotta be somebody's baby.

'Cause she's so fine…"

At age sixteen, Phoebe was, to the people that didn't know of her astounding brilliance, or kindheartedness, pretty plain. Her dark brown her was unremarkable as it fell past her narrow shoulders, her stature was pretty average, and despite her rejection of glasses and adoption of contact lenses two years prior, her metal braces still classified her as a nerd. She was ostensibly invisible, and perfectly alright with it.

Not that she cared. She walked the hallways of her high school, caring little about others. She was always on her way to some practice, or after school activity. Whether it be National Honor Society, or Ecology club or study sessions for the Advanced Placement European History exams, Phoebe was far too into her studies to worry about how people saw her. Which was exactly why invitations that cascaded out of her locker were so unexpected.

Instead of bending to pick up each slip of lazily folded notebook paper, she focused on the only on that caught her eye, taped into her locker by the only person who knew her combination.

__

Definitely not the first,

Let me be the last.

Homecoming?

-G

Smiling so that her braces spread across her face, Phoebe nodded, seemingly to no one. Even if someone did walk by and saw her bobbing her head in such a manner, she knew she could see.

He had a knack for seeing the invisible.

* * *

4) **"Nobody's Perfect"-Hannah Montana**

__

"Everybody makes mistakes,

Everybody has those days,

Everybody knows what, what I'm talking about,

Everybody gets that way…"

Okay, so third period. Advanced Physics. Yesterday? Huge test, right. What do I get?

98. Not bad, I know. And do you know what Mr. Winnard has the audacity, the gall, the nerve to say to me.

"You've done better."

I've done better?! I've done better?! Yeah, I have, Mr. _Whine-fart_, but I had a head cold yesterday, and I was off of my game. But, it's whatever, right? NO biggie.

Fifth period English. We have to read that tragic book The Stranger, by Albert Camus. And I don't mean tragic because he kills a guy and his mom dies. I mean tragic, like, blah, gag me with a spoon, this book is so boring, tragic. Anyway, pop quiz. What's my score? 91. Totally good for a pop quiz, and deffo the best score in class. Anyway, The Grizz (my sad excuse for an educator) says that I'm slipping. Slipping from what? Obviously not as much as your off-color pantyhose. Those things are running so much, you'd think they were on their way to the White House. Get it? Running? White House? Whatever.

So while my seventh period Spanish teacher berates me for being late (for the first time all semester, too! What is up with this faculty?) , in Spanish, mind you, I pretend not to understand her, and think about which pharmacies sell the cheapest blue hair dye.

Because, and this is totally no joke, this Little Miss Perfect thing, totally bites.

* * *

5) **"Look at Me"- Keri Noble**

__

"Look at me.

Look into my eyes.

Tell me do you see

That I am always by your side?

Or has the world got you down

On your knees?

Come to me.

Look at you.

Look into your heart.

Tell me is there room for you

To make a brand new start?

Or has the world gotten to you

And made you dark?

Come to me."

"Maybe you were right."

"About what?" I asked.

"About everything. I know you were just joking all those times, but you were right. No one really needs me. "

"Why would you say that?' I asked. Who is this standing in front of me?

"Nothing turns out as I want it to. Maybe every once and a while, but not all the time. Not enough." he answered, looking at the empty lot. There were remains of our old friend scattered around the butchered and beaten patched of grass. I wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon with him, picking up the pieces, in more way than one.

"I'm not necessary." he said, turning from the sight, which I imagine, had to be sickening.

'You are. To me.'

That's what I should have said. I should have told him, but I didn't.

"I have to go. Phoebe's waiting." he said, turning from the empty field where Mighty Pete once stood, without looking back.

Once again, Arnold was walking away. From his own pain. From bad memories.

From me.

* * *

6) **"Closer"- Ne-Yo**

__

"Turn the lights off in this place ,

And she shines just like a star.

And I swear I know her face ,

I just don't know who you are.

Turn the music up in here,

I still hear her loud and clear ,

Like she's right there in my ear,

Telling me that she wants to own me.

To control me.

Come closer,

Come closer…"

To say that she was mesmerizing would have been an understatement. And, please don't chalk it up to the fact that she was currently the only girl to sit on top of the beast in such a…suggestive way. At least the only one to do so without falling off in a fit of giggles. Honestly, I didn't even see her until she climbed off.

Running a hand through her long blonde hair, she smiled at her small group of friends and approached the crowded bar. As she moved, the hands of faceless passerby patted her on the back, and I found myself insanely jealous with each affectionate pat. It was now or never.

"Can I buy you a strawberry milkshake?" I asked, stupidly. The first words out of my mouth to her, and I decided to make an absolute fool of myself. Nice going so far.

I watched her look at me questioningly. She must have thought I was an escapee from a mental institution. That, or a complete idiot.

"I can't."

I awaited the ever-present "boyfriend-bomb", but it never came. She continued, "It's heredity. All the women in my family are allergic to strawberries." she said. I decided right then and there, that her country twang was the most adorable thing I'd ever heard.

"Vanilla then?"

"How about chocolate?" she asked, smiling. Extending her hand, She introduced herself. "Miriam."

"I'm Bob. But, you can call me B."

* * *

7)** "Ex-Girlfriend Syndrome"- Charlotte Sometimes**

__

" I opened the door to your head,

Tried going in quietly,

But I slammed the door instead,

I yelled, "Why'd I even come here?!"

But still I stayed for a while.

Looked in every draw that I could find.

Saw you calendar on the floor

You're not very organized, are you?

I said to myself, I said to myself

"You should go, you should leave"

Good side pulling on my sleeve.

But I stood there, I stood there,

With a note from my head

Opposite of what my heart said."

Pulling the hooded sweatshirt closer around her head, she slipped into the modest apartment, closing the door behind her. She had to use nearly all of her money, just to bribe the landlord to let her in. No chance of affording a taxi home.

Looking at the scattered items on the hardwood floor, she began searching, for nothing in particular. Collecting a few odd items, she flipped her black backpack off of her back and threw them inside. A stray sock (only the ones that she made sure were his), the razor that sat on top of his bathroom sink (just the blue one, she knew the pink was bound to be…hers), and an abandoned Playstation 2 controller.

No, she admitted, she didn't love him as he deserved, all the time. And she didn't quite fight for him like she knew she should have. Nonetheless, she had him first. He was hers. Who did that…bimbo think she was., anyway? She wasn't pretty. She wasn't smart. She wasn't even that nice! How did she, of all people, manage to-

"Thanks for letting me crash at your place. The fire wiped out my apartment completely."

"It's…okay." he replied, turning the lock in the door.

"And thank Karen for me; you know she didn't have to-"

Helga stopped mid-sentence, staring bewildered at the person standing in the middle of her apartment. Dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses, she immediately thought the girl a robber. Cautious, though menacing in her approach, Helga was set to strike when she spoke.

"No, wait. Stop!, it's me!" she cried, shedding the disguise and wincing from the anticipation of pain.

"Lila? What are you doing my apartment?" Helga asked.

"I…I thought that…you two and…then I thought that, maybe…who is Karen?" Lila asked, exasperated.

"My…fiancée." Arnie answered, sniffing in between each word.

"So…you're…" she began, pointing to Helga.

"Staying here since my apartment burned down."

"And he's…"

"Engaged."

"And I'm…"

"A complete moron." Helga finished for her.

Lila looked down and sighed. "Yeah, right." Picking her head up, she smiled nervously, attempting to slip out of the apartment. "Well, see you guys at the reunion."

* * *

8) **"Upgrade U" Beyonce feat. Jay-Z**

__

"I hear you be the block,

But I'm the lights that keep the streets on.

Notice you the type that like to keep them on a leash though,

I'm known to walk alone

But I'm alone for a reason.

Sending me a drink ain't appeasing,

Believe me.

Come harder, this won't be easy.

Don't doubt yourself,

Trust me, you need me.

This ain't a shoulder with a chip or an ego.

But what you think they all mad at me for?"

'No, I won't do this! It's barbaric!"

"The only person being barbaric, is you…" Arnold replied calmly, pushing Helga into the small establishment.

"Is this necessary?"

"Have you looked in a mirror lately? Of course it is." He knew the statement wouldn't offend her. For one thing, it was truth, and secondly, her skin was too think to get mad over something so small.

"You're going to pay for this." Helga said, trying to stall their entrance further. Arnold stood behind her, obviously stronger, and only pushed her harder. As soon as they crossed the threshold, she was assaulted with the scent of burned hair, plastic and the bane of her existence.

It couldn't hurt to beg one last time.

"Please, please, please don't make me. I'll do anything, please?" she begged.

"No. If you're coming to my parents homecoming, you have to. Don't want my parents thinking I'm dating a caveman." he said, smiling.

Helga whined as he signed her in, and a prim looking woman came to escort her to the back of the salon. She stopped when Arnold walked toward her , smiling affectionately. She thought he was going to go back on his request until he spoke.

"Just wanted one goodbye kiss." he said, bending slightly to plant a kiss directly above her nose, where her two brows became one. "Bye bye, little unibrow." he said, before the impatient woman holding the jar of wax, pulled harder on Helga's arm and led a mournful Helga around the corner.

* * *

9) **"You Kicked My Dog"-- Jerky Boys**

"I saw you do it!"

"What are you talking about?" Helga yelled.

"I saw you! You kicked Abner!"

"What?!" Helga asked, taken aback. "Why would I kick your stupid pig?"

"Abner is not stupid." Arnold answered calmly. "And I don't know why you kicked him, but I saw you do it."

"You didn't see anything. Your brain is just too small for your stupid football head."

Helga stood before him, more defiant than Arnold had ever seen. Her frizzy blonde hair, in such stark contrast to her sister's sleek straight hair, was sticking out from all angles. Even though she was shorter than him, she stared at him, probably burning a hole in the center of his head if she could.

By no means, was Arnold scared of her. She looked like she was going to tear him apart though, and to quell her obviously feral nerves. He did the only thing that came to mind.

Swiftly approaching her, he crashed his lips to hers, and stayed there until she pushed him away, looking thoroughly amazed. He would have smiled to himself, claiming victory, had not her strong leg come swinging up, only to collide with his thick shin.

"There. Now I really _did _kick a pig." she said, turning and leaving his garbage covered lawn. She didn't turn around, mostly out of anger, but also because she could no rid her face of the smile she carried all the way home.

* * *

10)** "Wonderful World"- James Morrison**

__

"Sometimes I feel so full of love,

It just comes spilling out.

It's uncomfortable to see;

I give it away so easily .

But if I had someone

I would do anything,

And everything to never let you feel alone

I won't, I won't leave you on your own

But who am I to dream?

Dreams are for fools, they let you down…"

He should have known better. The fact is, he did know better. He was no genius, but he knew what was bound to happen. Elementary school was a long time ago. He knew not to expect that kind of treatment for long.

The funny thing about illusions, is that you don't know you're in one until you've fallen out of it.

And he fell. He fell far and hard.

"Maybe we could try? Even if we're jus' friends-"

"It wouldn't work. You know that." she replied. And he did. More than she could imagine. He knew.

"So I guess, this is it?" He tried not to sound hopeful. He tried.

"Yeah. It was good, back then, wasn't it?" Lila asked, wrinkling her brow.

"I s'pose." Stinky answered, offering a small smile so her conscious wouldn't be too badly bruised, and waited until she returned to the raging party before retreating home.

* * *

_So, this version definitely has a better mix of songs, and characters, but I might like the other one more. Oh well. I can't remember who did it first, but I'm going to go down the line and explain each little song._

_1) This song is so cool. I love it. And I kind of like writing about Helga's parents. I think they're deeper than they seem sometimes. Especially Miriam. I think it'd be fun to write about her childhood._

_2) I have never written about Eugene, ever! I don't think I've even put him as an extra in one of my stories. This was kind of fun. And it reminded me of that episode with "The Abdicator". What a horrible superhero name._

_3) I like this one. I like the thought of Phoebe with braces. And I think the song is freakishly addictive and cute._

_4) Yes, okay. I admit it. I listen to Hannah Montana. Not that often, and really not that much, but I do. The girls I baby-sit love her, and so, I started liking it too. And if you think you're better than me because I listen to Hannah Montana, then look at the top of your screen and tell me what fandom you're reading about. Grey's Anatomy? The Lord of The Rings? No. You're reading fanfics about a cartoon from the 90's. So if I'm a child, then darn it, so are you. So are you._

_Also, I wanted to play around with "Valley Girl" speech in this one, while still keeping her "smart". Hope it worked._

_5) Aww. This song is a little sad, but still nice. And yes, I did pair them up. Sue me._

_6) This may be my favorite of the bunch. Told ya' they were fun to write about! Most people don't think of them as romantic and cute, because…they're not, most of the time. But I figured that on the off chance of Helga disappearing, that Bob would play the harp for Miriam, then they had to at least have liked each other at some point in their lives._

_7) I think 7 is going to be my crazy number from now on. I like it. This wasn't too extreme, though. You've been spared._

_8) This is actually one of my sister's songs that snuck onto my play list. It's okay, but I loved working with the idea for this. And I hate getting my eyebrows waxed, which is probably why I don't. Too painful. Yikes._

_9) There are no lyrics for this, because this is not a song. It's a prank call from forever ago, and if you've never heard it, you're crazy, and if you have heard it, you're crazy. I actually don't like it too much anymore, but my friend sent it to me one day, so I put it on my playlist, like an idiot._

_10)Same deal her, I never write about Stinky. And he's such a great character. This is off topic, but my favorite line of Stinky's (EVER) is was from "Weird Cousin" and he's talking to Arnold after Arnie and Lila start spending a lot of time together. Not sure if this is an exact quote:_

_"…I mean, I know you're no Dapper Dan, but you sure are a lot better lookin' than Arnie….and you sure are a lot more fun to talk to. But she just likes him better! Look at her glow!"_

_"Stinky, shut up."_

_"What'd I say?!"_

_Okay, I just found a few episodes on YouTube. Bye! Hope you enjoyed!_

_-PointyObjects_


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